Caddy Spoon with Double Duty mark

In 1797, the duty on silver was doubled to help pay for the Napoleonic Wars. Assay offices had different methods of showing when this had been paid whilst the current year letter was being used. Birmingham chose to strike the duty mark twice for the few weeks from 15th July until the end of August 1797. This silver caddy spoon is a great example of an item that bears the duty mark twice.

This spoon is typical of caddy spoons made in Birmingham towards the end of the 19th Century and was the start of a prolific career for Joseph Taylor. It has an attractively decorated handle with no personalised engravings and a handsome shield-shaped bowl with an engraved shield within. It is in excellent condition with clear hallmarks.